Desilting 'scam' probe: ED raids Bollywood actor Dino Morea’s properties in Rs 65 crore Mithi river

MUMBAI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday launched a major crackdown in connection with the alleged Rs 65 crore Mithi river desilting scam, conducting searches at 15 locations across Mumbai and Kochi. Properties linked to Bollywood actor Dino Morea, BMC assistant engineer Prashant Ramugade, and several contractors and individuals came under scrutiny in the money laundering investigation. The searches were conducted under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). ED officials are examining financial documents, electronic data, and transaction records to gather evidence of suspected embezzlement and diversion of public funds allocated for critical flood-prevention and drainage works in Mumbai. Agencies said the investigation centers on inflated bills, bogus work logs, and systematic siphoning of funds meant for the cleaning and maintenance of the Mithi River, a key drainage channel in the city. The river, which gained national attention after the devastating 2005 Mumbai floods, has since been the focus of regular desilting efforts funded by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and other civic bodies. However, recent audits by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) and probes by the Anti-Corruption Bureau flagged significant discrepancies between reported and actual desilting work. These findings prompted the ED to register a money laundering case, building on a FIR filed by Mumbai Police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW) against 13 individuals, including BMC officials and private contractors. The ED suspects that a network of contractors, middlemen, and officials collaborated to submit fraudulent project completion reports and diverted crores in taxpayer funds. Evidence collected during Friday’s raids is expected to play a crucial role in tracing the proceeds of crime. This case is the latest in a string of corruption scandals involving civic infrastructure projects in Mumbai, triggering renewed public demand for accountability, transparency, and reform in the governance of local bodies.